The Philippines said on Saturday it has suspended a scientific survey in the South China Sea after two of its fisheries vessels faced "harassment" and aggressive behaviour from China's coast guard and
The Philippines said on Saturday it has suspended a scientific survey in the South China Sea after two of its fisheries vessels faced "harassment" and aggressive behaviour from China's coast guard and navy.
Manila and Beijing have had a series of escalating confrontations in disputed waters of the South China Sea. China claims almost all the strategic waterway - through which $3 trillion in commerce moves annually - overlapping sovereignty claims by the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam.
Two Philippine fisheries vessels, on their way on Friday to collect sand samples from Sandy Cay near Philippine-occupied Thitu island, encountered "aggressive manoeuvres" from three China Coast Guard ships, the Philippine Coast Guard said in a statement on Saturday.
In its own statement, China Coast Guard said China has "indisputable sovereignty" over the Spratly Islands, including Sandy Cay - which China calls Tiexian Reef - and that it had intercepted two Philippine vessels and driven them away in accordance with law.
China Coast Guard said the Philippine vessels had entered waters near Tiexian Reef without permission and attempted to "illegally" land on the reef to collect sand samples.
The Philippine embassy in Beijing and the Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately
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